BHOPAL: In last 63 days, Covid-19 has claimed lives of 98 police personnel in the state. Most of them had co-morbidities like blood pressure, heart ailments and diabetes. In the previous year, 35 police personnel had lost their lives to the deadly infection.
This year, 59 personnel died in April alone, the month has seen a dramatic rise in the number of Covid cases in the state. In the month of May 36 personnel and in the three days of month June three police personnel had lost their lives.
About 75 of the 98 who died this month had received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Most of the deaths have occurred in the 50-60 age group. Some of those who died are between 40 and 49 years of age. Constable aged 25 was the youngest among the 98 cops who died in this period.
Compared to last year, the current year has seen a steep rise in Covid-19 deaths among police personnel.
Sources informed that 35 cops died of the infection between March and December 2020. Despite the fact that about 90 per cent of the stateís police force has been vaccinated against the deadly infection, most of the casualties in police department occurred in last 63 days.
Job and ex gratia to kin
State Home Minister Narottam Mishra said that the families of the deceased policemen will get a job and Rs 1 lakh from Central Welfare Fund of Police. The state government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 50 lakh to the families of police personnel who died in the line of duty during the Covid-19 pandemic.
